There are many reasons that victims of childhood sexual abuse may not have filed charges against their abusers. One reason could be that the time allotted by a statute of limitations has run out. But the Child Victims Act, passed in August 2019, gives childhood sexual abuse victims an additional year, known as a “lookback window,” to press civil charges against an abuser.
Attorney Jennifer Freeman of the Marsh Law Firm represents victims with sex abuse claims. She wants Floridians who may have been abused in New York to know about this recent change in the law.
“What I hope is that residents of Florida, and all the other states, who used to live in New York, become aware of the Child Victims Act, and they take action. That they learn about the statute and if they want to bring a claim, that they bring it,” said Freeman.
A lawsuit may be against an institution rather than an individual.
“In many instances, the person is no longer with us. But in other cases, we have an institution. That really is who should have protected the children. Who should have protected that person from getting abused,” she went on to say.
The deadline to file a claim in New York is August 13 of this year.
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